World's fair

[1] These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a period of time, typically between three and six months.

The exhibition was held in the Clementinum, and celebrated the considerable sophistication of manufacturing methods in the Czech lands during that time period.

In 1851, the "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations" was held in the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom.

[9] It influenced the development of several aspects of society, including art-and-design education, international trade and relations, and tourism.

[13] The 1939–1940 New York World's Fair, and those that followed, took a different approach, one less focused on technology and aimed more at cultural themes and social progress.

[14] From World Expo 88 in Brisbane onwards, countries started to use expositions as a platform to improve their national image through their pavilions.

[citation needed] Pavilions became a kind of advertising campaign, and the Expo served as a vehicle for "nation branding".

According to branding expert Wally Olins, Spain used Expo '92 and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona in the same year to underscore its new position as a modern and democratic country and to show itself as a prominent member of the European Union and the global community.

[citation needed] At Expo 2000 Hanover, countries created their own architectural pavilions, investing, on average, €12 million each.

Their total surface area must not exceed 25 hectares (62 acres) and organizers must build pavilions for the participating states, free of rent, charges, taxes and expenses.

Specialized Expos are usually smaller in scale and cheaper to run for the host committee and participants because the architectural fees are lower and they only have to customize pavilion space provided free of charge from the Organiser, usually with the prefabricated structure already completed.

The purpose of these exhibitions is to foster cooperation and the sharing of knowledge and solutions between countries, horticultural producers and agricultural industries by addressing the paramount issues of healthy lifestyles, green economies, sustainable living, education and innovation.

Although it is now the most recognized symbol of its host city Paris, there were contemporary critics opposed to its construction, and demands for it to be dismantled after the fair's conclusion.

Many of the rides, including "It's a Small World", and "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln", as well as the building that housed the Carousel of Progress are still in operation.

In the New York City Subway system, signs directing people to Flushing Meadows–Corona Park remain from the 1964–1965 event.

Also, a seemingly endless supply of souvenir items from fair visits can be found, and in the United States, at least, often turn up at garage or estate sales.